His involvement in the abuse scandal involving US multimillionaire Jeffrey Epstein cost Prince Andrew both reputation and honorary titles. But at least the case seemed closed for the palace. Until now.
King Charles III is likely to start the new year. much more pleasantly imagined. But Friday’s headlines suggest things could be stormy for the British monarch. “Royal disgrace,” was the headline of the tabloid “Sun,” which is actually considered extremely close to the palace. In focus once again: Prince Andrew, the king’s scandal-ridden brother.
Prince Andrew is part of the Epstein files
The British media have counted the 63-year-old 69 times in the court documents that a US court recently published on the abuse scandal involving multimillionaire Jeffrey Epstein. It has long been known that Andrew was in more than just a casual connection with Epstein. He defended a civil lawsuit from the American Virginia Giuffre, who accused him of abusing her as a minor 20 years ago, in an out-of-court settlement. Allegedly for payment of several million pounds. According to his own statement, he did not know the woman.
The case seemed to be closed. Most recently, Andrew, who was stripped of his honorary title by his mother Queen Elizabeth II because of the involvement and who hardly appeared in public for years, even started chatting with Royals fans again. Together with the rest of the royal family, he went to the Christmas service. The fact that his ex-wife Sarah “Fergie” Ferguson was also there for the first time in decades fueled speculation about a comprehensive new beginning.
But now the court documents are bursting into the tension. They provide details of allegations against Andrew of sexually abusing two young women. The prince has always strictly rejected the allegations.
Outcry from the British public
The court documents, which run to hundreds of pages, come from a civil dispute between Giuffre and Maxwell. Mentioning a name does not mean that the person was an active part of the abuse network around Epstein, but initially only that the name was mentioned in the civil lawsuit.
But the detailed allegations against Andrew suggested by these documents are now leading to a new outcry from the British public. Even Prime Minister Rishi Sunak was asked about the case, but he did not want to comment.
Charles is under enormous pressure to punish Andrew, wrote the Sun. “The king would be wise to cut ties with his brother completely,” his biographer Robert Jobson told the paper. “Andrew is a liability and this scandal won’t go away.” For Royals expert Phil Dampier, the latest releases are “the final nail in the coffin.” “If Andrew entertained the idea that he might come back at some point, this has dashed those hopes.”
But what options does the king have? For years, Andrew has no longer been a “working royal” who attends official appointments on behalf of the royal family. The Daily Mail quoted sources from the palace as saying that under no circumstances would he return to his inner circle. The king will also push ahead with existing plans to kick his brother out of the spacious Royal Lodge at Windsor Castle and move him to the smaller Frogmore Cottage, which was last used by Charles’ younger son Prince Harry.
But this is seen as more of a symbolic step. The first demands are already emerging that the king should withdraw the title of Duke of York from the eighth in line to the British throne.
The palace is under pressure to act. Without a reaction, the case is likely to play into the hands of opponents of the monarchy. They see themselves on the rise anyway, as dissatisfaction with the institution has been growing in polls since the death of Queen Elizabeth. The Republic organization now reported Andrew to the London police – but they initially did not investigate. “If new and relevant information is brought to our attention, we will evaluate it as with any matter,” it said.
But Republic boss Graham Smith demands answers. After all, at the time of the alleged crimes, Andrew was an active member of the Royal Family and the British government’s special representative for international trade. Smith senses an exception for the royal: any other accused would be investigated.
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Source: Stern
I am an author and journalist who has worked in the entertainment industry for over a decade. I currently work as a news editor at a major news website, and my focus is on covering the latest trends in entertainment. I also write occasional pieces for other outlets, and have authored two books about the entertainment industry.
